Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-05-19
DAILY HERALD.
WATER POWER.
Where Our Manufacturing
Will Be Done.
VERY VALUABLE PROPERTIES.
Southern California is Not ~
Dependent on Cheap Fuel
as Many Think.

in and about Los Angeles. In such dis.
cussions there is one universal proposi-
tiou which seldom or never meets with
a word of contrad:ction-'You can not
have factories of any sort on large
scale until you get cheap fuel" 1t has
not yet occurred to any one to ask,
"Whers are our watsrpowers?" Per.
haps some who read this question may
bethink themselves of the famous his.
tory of Iceland written in days of
yore, and of the chapter headed
"sNAkEs."
the terse and conclusive sentence
"There are nc snakes in Iceland"
If such a notion arises in any readers
mind, it is because he does not know
anything about the water courses OF
South California. This is but another
instance like so many of the falacies of
the past, now happily exploded BY bet
ter experience. Old timers will recall
the days when to all parts of this south
ern section of the State were imported
NEARLY all the butter, cheese, potatoes
and other vegetables, and nearly all the
fruit consumed, because those things
would not grow hereabouts-would not
grew because the soil and climate did
not suit such industries. Potatoes from
Bodega, butter from Marin county, peach
es from San Jose and Haywards were
the order of that day. Time has
~ -s.x&-
now Los Angeles, San Bernardine,
Ventura and San Diego counties
are recognized as the garden
spot OF the continent for such
products of the soil. The day is near
when this region will be known the
world over as the most proliiie on the
globe, in Just such crops as once were
said to be unsuited to this soil and
cline.
THERE ARE wATERPowERS
Of unusual values in all these southern
counties. They may not be found in
the center of cities where men have
chosen for other enterprises. These
things do not exist in New York City
nor in Chicago, nor in Milwaukee. Bui
they abound in Now York State, and in
many parts. of Wisconsin outside ot
large cities. In the rural parts of the
Eastern States many miles from the
great centers OF population. are water
courses which are utilized in turning
millwheels and raising trip-hammers.
Those who have followed the streams
of South California far from the limits
of large cities know that there are ma ny
creeks whose waters will become inval
liable as power to turn machinery oil
various sorts. In the neighbofhood oi
New York are small streams on whose
banks, in distance OF six miles, may b.
Sound dozen villages, each of whicl
cluster around some industrial enter
prise, the result OF the waterpower il
the creek. Along them are found cot
ton mills, woolen factories, macbin,
shops, grist mills, each one helping tn,
other to live.
On the Los Angeles river are reache,
of the stream which Can be used for the
same purpose. 1t is not in modern days
as it was Of old. A generation ago il
took an ocean OF water to turn the
stones of little Touring mill. The
great, clumsy wheels, overshot or under
shot or breast wheels, as the case might
be, lost more OF the fluid than they
used in their imperfect and leaky
buckets. The American turbine
wheel, little iron machine not much
bigger than a mans hat has changed all
that. Not volume but fall is the desira
BILE thing. That is just what Southern
California streams have. In any of tht
mountain gorges dam across some gal
will hold back body of water W hos,
accumulated depth will furnish power
Of great force when run over the spin
ming tlanges of a little turbine wheel
From one of these dams race" can l.,
built, Of not more than 100 feet in length
which will give all of fifty feet of fall
In piping the water over the large tract:
for irrigation purposes, one sf the greal
items of expense is the numerous rsser.
voirs which must be constructed so as to
break the head of water and relieve a
pressure strong enough otherwise Il
burst the best steel pipes constructed.
The use of this pressure to turn mills
will ia no wise lessen its use for purpose
of irrigation. Tho two enterprises can
be made beautifullya interdependent
The water must be reservoired and piped
for use in the vineyards and orchards.
Here is the accumulation OF power made
ready to the hands Of the factory owner
Running the water over an iron wheel
will in no wise unfit it for irrigation. Al
each point where it falls into a new res.
ervoir is treasury of force which by
and by will prove most valuable. Near
Burruel Point in the Santa Ana valley il
fall like this, and there is one of the
finest Touring mills in the State. A
small tran.load of ground grain goes out
from there daily, and so important is
this business that the railroad DETECTED
its course to catch the business.
On the Santa Anita ranch might be
turned the wheels OF fifty small fac.
tories. The San Gabriel river will fur.
nish power for as many more mills OF
moderate size. The HERALD has lately
noticed the waters of Lytle Creek, near
San Bsrnardino. Here are 1000
inches of water, coming down sharp
incline in a fierce current, which, if
chained and tanned to the uses of busi.
ness by modern science, will furnish in
nine miles million horsepower in
force.
In Ventura county along the Sespe
country are streams OF quite the same
value. They may be found in all parts
of California. Tulare and Fresno couu-
ties abound in such currents. There is
not one of these southern counties that
cannot supply enough waterpower if
properly used to turn more machinery
than will ever be called for in the devel.
oping Of the country. Such use of these
waters may necessitate some radical
changes in the manner Of irrigating now
in vogue; but that is no great obstacle
in the way of intelligent development
and material progress. When the day
comes that manufacturing is demanded
all will suit their business 40 as to aid in
bringing it about.